Create Your Own Solar Mandala

Create Your Own Solar Mandala

You are going to create two mandalas. In the first you will make a depiction of your life as it actually is now. In the second you will enjoy some dream-time and create a mandala of the life you would like.

Take one big sheet of paper. On one half of the paper draw a big circle, draw another circle on the other half of the paper. Fold the paper in half so that you can only see one of the circles. This circle represents a mandala of your life as it actually is now.

Sit quietly for a few breaths, with your eyes closed. Picture your life, as it actually is now, as a circular mandala.

Where do you see yourself placed on this mandala of your life? Are you at the centre, or to the side, up above or down below? Open your eyes, and draw yourself onto your mandala (or if you think you can’t draw write your name in a coloured pen).

Close your eyes again, get back in touch with the flow of your breath. Picture your life, as it is now, as a mandala. What else do you see? Who else is in your circle? Now draw or write them onto your mandala.

What else do you want to add to your mandala? How do you spend your time, your energy? What is difficult in your life and what brings you joy? Don’t judge your life; simply try to create an accurate picture of it, as it is now. Try to be as honest as you can.

Take the time to take in the mandala that you have created. Then close your eyes; how do you feel now? What have you learnt about yourself and your life?

Part of yoga is about having the courage and honesty to see things as they really are. It is not about taking flight from reality Yoga gives us the insight to see reality with crystal clearness. How things actually are is our starting point. It is from this very real place, with firm foundations, rooted in the earth, rooted in reality, that change is possible.

Yoga also gives us the freedom and the space to dream the lives that we would like to live and this is what you are going to do with your second mandala.

Fold your paper so that you can only see the circle that is at present empty.

Close your eyes, get back in touch with the natural flow of your breath. Notice how your body feels. Take your awareness to your solar plexus and imagine a radiant sun there.

In your mind’s eye picture your mandala and place yourself at the centre of the circle. This is the circle of your life as you would like it to be. Picture yourself at the centre sitting on a throne; notice how grandly you are dressed. Open your eyes and draw or write yourself into the centre of your mandala.

Close your eyes and picture your own personal solar mandala. You are the sun at the centre of your solar system. What else do you see? Who would you like close by you at the centre of your circle? Now draw your chosen loved ones onto your mandala.

Close your eyes again. What else do you want to include in the life that you would love to live? How do you spend your time? What work do you do? What do you do with your spare time? What and whom are important to you?

Take up your pen again and complete your mandala, adding all the details that you wish, to create the life that you would like to live.

Feast your eyes on the mandala that you have created. Now compare it to the first mandala, of your life as it actually is now. How do the two compare? How does it feel to place yourself at the centre of your mandala? What have you learnt? Are there any changes that you would like to make in your life? Is there a small step that you could take soon to start to make your dream a reality?

Sit quietly for a few more breaths, feel into your body, feel your connection with the earth below you, and to the sky above you.

Picture the sun, the moon and the earth and all the other planets that form our own solar system.

Take a few slightly deeper breaths and with each out breath feel your deep connection to the earth below and with each in breath feel yourself taking in energy and vitality from your surroundings. Now that you are centred and grounded again, you are ready to carry on with your day.